Morocco

There is a steady flow of migrants from Africa – many of them coming from war-torn countries – making their way to European countries through Morocco. The reinforcement of European borders, however, has meant that the country has become an unexpected and sometimes difficult final destination for many of them.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) opened a programme in 2002 to address the poor access to healthcare and inhumane treatment that migrants experience, and has spoken out about their plight on several occasions, including in a report published in 2013, Violence, vulnerability and migration: Trapped at the gates of Europe.

Beatrice
52 years old

They sent us to Médecins Sans Frontières, who told us we should do the tests for HIV. It’s me who is a victim; my children are in good health. When I started to cry the doctor encouraged me. She told me that it’s good to know, because now that we know they can help me with the treatment.

In 2012, MSF started winding down a project in Rabat which supported trafficked people – mainly women, and many the victims of sexual violence – and the programmes facilitating access to healthcare for migrants in Oujda and Nador. The handover process to local health and human rights organisations was completed in February 2013. The decision to close the Morocco programme was based on the fact that access to healthcare for sub-Saharan migrants has improved, and that local organisations have emerged to help ensure that migrants get the healthcare they need and that their rights are respected.